Breaking Down The Cost Of A DUI

Interviewer: What does a DUI cost not including attorney fees?

Eric Sachs: What does it cost? Well, sometimes to some people it feels like your life.

Without the attorney’s fees, the client can expect to pay several different fees, including but not limited to Department of Motor Vehicle fees. In New York State your license will suspended when you first come to the judge the very first time. There’s a law that says it’s suspended pending prosecution. The client may then apply to get a conditional license. At the end of the case the client applies to get their full license back, there are Department of Motor Vehicle fees. In the addition to their fees, the Department of Motor Vehicles will require you to take the Impaired Driver Program (IDP). There is a fee for that. Upon completion, the person can apply to get their license back and there is a fee for that. There’s also a Victim Impact Panel, which is referred to as VIP; there’s a fee for that. The DMV also will charge a safe driver assessment fee. After DMV fees, there are court fees, OASAS evaluation fees, possible insurance fees, and DWI program fees.

The Court Fees Have To Be Paid Unless the Case Gets Dismissed

Unless the case is dismissed or if after a trial you are found not guilty, there’s a mandatory fee or a fine that goes along with whatever the outcome is. In addition, there are mandatory surcharges that the state imposes. There is also a DNA fee. There’s a drinking driver fee that goes with those charges. So, beside the legal fees, you have those set fees. lf there’s a car accident, when your insurance company learns that you have been arrested and maybe even convicted of a DUI or a DWI or a DWAI, they may raise your rates as well. lf your car was impounded, there may be storage fees. lf your car was not impounded, but if it was towed, then there can be towing fees. Again, all of these fees have nothing to do with the attorney fees or legal fees; those are all additional fees that a client can anticipate paying.

Specific Charges

Interviewer: What are we talking about with initial fines for the court?

Eric Sachs: On a Driving While Ability impaired for instance, DWAI, that’s a violation, so the minimum fine is $350 and then there are surcharges of S255. On a Driving While intoxicated, the minimum fine is $5500. It comes with $5395 surcharges and then there are other surcharges and fees on top of those surcharges and fines. If there is a conviction for Aggravated DWl, the minimum fine is $1,000 plus surcharges.